Principled Innovation LLC

The power of innovation democracy

July 4th, 2006

Irving Wladawsky-Berger, VP of technical strategy and innovation for IBM, has a great post on the power of innovation democracy. In it, he writes about the work of MIT Sloan School professor Eric von Hippel, author of Democratizing Innovation, which is one of my recommended innovation readings for association leaders. In the book, Professor von Hippel details how customers, including both individuals and firms, with very specific needs that are not met by one-size-fits-all products and services may become “lead users” who innovate to solve their own challenges. Others benefit from lead user innovations because open and democratic innovation facilitates easier and more meaningful connections, as Wladawsky-Berger writes:

Professor von Hippel explains that user-centered innovation tends to foster the development of communities of interest that freely share their ideas and collaborate with each other. This speeds progress, particularly now that the Internet and social networks enable such lead users to find each other and work together even if they are distributed around the world. This is in sharp contrast to the traditional innovation model in which manufacturers use patents, copyrights and similar means to protect their proprietary innovations. Given the benefits to manufacturers of collaborating with and learning from leading-edge users, it is important that business innovation models now include a balance of proprietary and open innovation, as we have been doing at IBM.

Even though both von Hippel and Wladawsky-Berger are looking at innovation through a manufacturing lens, the implications of innovation democracy for associations are clear. Instead of keeping innovation activities out of the members’ line of sight, innovation democracy challenges us to engage our members directly in the work by leveraging ideas they are already developing for themselves. Instead of conducting surveys and focus groups to learn what our members might want, we can work with our members to build prototypes, service tests and experiments around things they want and need enough to initiate their own action.

Of course, not all of innovation democracy for associations is about the equivalent of “lead users.” It is also about making the recognition that everyone in our organizations has a role to play in making innovation happen. Innovation is a democratic form of organizational capacity building that cannot afford to exclude anyone’s individual capability. Instead, that capacity must be channeled to those activities that will best contribute to advancing the overall innovation effort. Collaboration is one of the keys to success in innovation, and innovation democracy is most definitely about getting people involved for the long run.

The opportunities in front of our community are considerable if we can make innovation democracy a true priority. Now is the time for us to take the necessary steps to do just that.

Entry Filed under: Principled Innovation Blog, What's New?, Social Media, Innovation, Associations, Extreme Makeover, The Association Innovator